Real-Time Monitoring of Particulate Matter During Diwali Festival in Chennai, India

Abstract

Worldwide air pollution is an important source of morbidity and mortality. These days air contamination is an unsolvable issue and it directly affects the human prosperity and economy of a country. When compared to natural sources, anthropogenic activities are the major participant in the ambient air pollution problem. The present study aims to determine the Particulate Matter concentration during the Diwali celebration period in the Alandur area, Chennai district, Tamil Nadu, India. In this study area, alarmingly high air pollution was noticed in the year 2017 during Diwali Day. To validate the status of current situation in the study area the research was done in 2021. An ambient air quality sensor was used to monitor PM1, PM2.5 and PM10 particulate matter concentration and particles count. It was found that the maximum concentration was 1498 �g/m3 for PM10. It was identified that particles of size [1�m were more in the event of fireworks. Particles with diameter [2.5�m may induce an adverse health effect than larger fine particles. From this study, it is identified that, a complex mixture of transient particles released from fireworks and some of the elements were identified from the collected particulate matter samples such as C, N, O, Na, Al, S, Cl, K, Sr, Ba, Mg, Mn, Sb, Fe, Ca and As. The study found that trace elements available in the fine particles are inhalable and may pose ill effects on human health.